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Tag: Windows 2012

Awesome Script This script checks various configuration items on the server to make sure they match the recommendations published in the “Exchange 2013 Sizing and Configuration Recommendations” guidance on TechNet. It also reports on OS, system, and hardware information. It can be ran remotely, against a single server or a group of servers. It takes some of the most common configuration causes of Exchange 2013 performance cases that we encounter in support and allows you to rule them out quickly without having to check each server or read through the entire TechNet guidance.

This script needs to be executed from the Exchange 2013 Management Shell.

Today I was moving my testlab enterprise root CA from a Windows 2008 r2 server to a new Windows 2012 with a different server name. To accomplish this, I used this excellent Technet Post . I encountered no problems!

The update “Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 cumulative update: November 2012” adds functionality to the Control Panel group polices that allow an administrator to designate a lock screen image on their Windows 8 and Windows 2012 computers. This setting lets you specify the default lock screen image shown when no user is signed in, and also sets the specified images as the default for all users (it replaces the inbox default image) Some restriction apply. See the Restrictions section below. The new group policy is named “Force a specific default lock screen image” and can be found in this path in the group policy editor: “Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Personalization”Requirements: To deploy the new “Force a specific default lock screen image” GP the following requirements must be met:

The update “Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 cumulative update: November 2012” must be applied to all Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 computers that you want to deploy customer lock screen images to. This is required as the Control Panel group policy client side extension must be updated to enforce the group policy

The group policy used to deploy the custom lock screen image must be edited on a machine that has been patched with “Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 cumulative update: November 2012”

Restrictons

Windows 8 Enterprise or Windows Server 2012 can use the new GP “Force a specific default lock screen image” via Domain GP or via local GP

Windows 8 Pro can also be a target of the GP if the machine is joined to a domain

Create a GPO and link it to the OU where the computer accounts are located that you want to deploy the custom lock screen image to. Alternatively you can use an existing GPO.a. Open the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC)b. Create and link a GPO to an OU or Locate an existing GPO that you want to use

Create and link a GPO to an OU or Locate an existing GPO that you want to usea. In GPMC right click the GPO from step 2b and select editb. Go this path “Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Personalization”c. Enable the GP “Force a specific default lock screen image”d. Specify the path to the image file. It is recommended to use a DFS network path to provide redundancy.

After Sysvol replication has occurred and clients have refreshed their group policy settings the new lock screen will be used.

For Licensing Server 2012 and Windows 8 on a Windows 2008 R2 server you need to update the KMS Service.

Install the following update: An update is available for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 KMS hosts to support Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 as described in KB2691586. If you don’t install this hotfix registering a Windows Server 2012 KMS will throw an Error: 0xC004F050 The Software Licensing Service reported that the product key is invalid

So request the hotfix and install it. Just follow the instructions and you’ll be fine

We can start putting our brand new KMS key into action.

Uninstall the current KMS key using slmgr.vbs /upk

Now you can install the new KMS key. The key listed here is obviously a demo one If you run in to any issues here, restarting the KMS Service can help. Try that first.

slmgr.vbs /ipk NOPEI-AMNOT-GIVIN-GITTO-YOU!

Now activate your brandnew KMS key running slmgr.vbs /ato

We run slmgr.vbs /dlv again and as you can see now we can activate all our Windows 2012 servers and Windows 8 computers